Chaotic Flurry
by WriterOfDreems
Summary: It's chaos and winter in this opening story of the Sam series. There's injuries, nightmares, bonding, and an OC named Sam. Better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

(DISCLAIMER: I do not own M*A*S*H although I wish I could. There is no slash in this, just good old bromance and best friends.)

It was a cold evening at the M*A*S*H 4077. The temperature was below freezing and everyone was bundled up. While the enemy was attacking, the 4077 had been swamped with patients from the front lines. They had been running on more than double shifts just to allow each doctor and nurse some time to rest. A few of them, such as Hunnicutt and Pierce, had taken to pulling extra shifts just to give the others a chance to get more rest.

Captain BJ Hunnicutt and Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce didn't mind working extra shifts together. The two of them were the best of friends. They shared "The Swamp" with their other best friend Sam "Echo" Bradley and their main enemy, Major Frank Burns. They tolerated him, pulling practical jokes and giving sarcastic remarks. It was what kept them sane.

The night had finally died down enough that the doctors could relax. They still worked in shifts but they were longer so the others could get enough sleep. They were doing everything they could to stay warm in the cold night air. Echo, being the normal 18 year old he was, was sharing a cot with Hawkeye. He was so small and lanky that he would always be colder than the others. Hawkeye and he had taken to sharing a cot to double body heat and double the number of blankets as well. Echo, who didn't always like being called that as he liked Sam better, had the tendency to dig down deep in the blankets, trying to find the center of the warmth. Hawkeye didn't mind though. He got extra heat throughout the night.

Sometimes they would use Sam's cot in the winter to set miscellaneous items on. Frank Burns always grumbled about how it was against army regulation but a simple list of things going on between Frank and Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan instantly shut him up.

So it was that Radar O'Reilly came in to awaken Hawkeye for his shift. Radar was well aware of where everyone slept and knew that Sam always slept on the side farthest from the door. Radar secretly knew, from what Sam had told him in confidence, that it was because he trusted Hawkeye to protect him just in case something were to happen.

Reaching out, Radar grasped Hawkeye's shoulder, shaking it slightly.

"Hawkeye? Hawkeye, wake up." he said quietly.

Hawkeye shifted slightly, mumbling something about five more minutes. He dug down deeper in the blankets and went still. There was a shift next to Hawkeye as well before the bundle in the blankets stilled.

"Hawkeye, it's time for your shift I post-op." Radar said a little louder. He shook Hawkeye's shoulder again.

"Radar, if you don't remove that hand, I'll have it surgically removed." Hawkeye mumbled.

"C'mon Hawk." Radar shuffled over to BJ's bunk. Behind him, Hawkeye stood up. Sam immediately grabbed the blankets back up, taking Hawk's pillow and putting it under his own head. Hawkeye didn't mind. The pillow would be warm when he got back. Sitting on the corner of the bed, pulling on his boots, he shivered in the freezing air.

Hawkeye, Hunnicutt, Radar, and even Sam looked up sharply as Frank Burns came barging in.

"Can't you be quieter?" Sam asked. He glared at Frank, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

He groaned.

"Oh can it kid." Frank grumbled.

"Oh let the kid sleep Frank. He's been up longer the past two days than you have been up in the past few months." Hawkeye announced.

Burns released a few unkind words unfit for repeating. Sam rolled his eyes and put his hands behind his head.

"I don't think I'm gonna get back to sleep now." he sighed and reached under the bunk. He had stashed a box of grape Neehi under there in an extra blanket to keep them from freezing. He shared them with Radar quiet often. He would save any money he got and when he had enough, he would go to Rosie's bar and buy as many as he could.

Pulling one out, he opened it and smelled it. He always smelled his drinks. Whenever he made Hawkeye or BJ a drink, the stuff he refused to drink, he would make sure it smelled okay; or as okay as the still liquid could ever smell.

"Go get a cup of coffee. That'll put you to sleep for a while." Hunnicutt joked.

Rolling his shoulders, Sam downed the rest of his drink and grabbed his heavy coat. During the winter, Sam slept in his work pants rather than his pajama pants. It took less time to get ready in the freezing cold. It also kept him warm at night.

"I think I'll see if the kitchen has any of that overly processed hot cocoa collection left. It burns the stomach but keeps me warm." Sam announced.

He stretched his arms out again. A hot flash of pain sliced through his side. He hissed and huddled down as if to protect his body from harm.

Hawkeye looked at him with a frown.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sam waved him off.

"Must be a cramp in my side or something. It's gone now." he said, feeling the pain dull away. He stood up straight and sighed. Looking at Hawkeye and BJ who were staring at him in worry, he rolled his eyes.

"Don't you two need to be in post-op right now?" he asked.

BJ jumped as if he'd been pinched and continued tying his shoes. Hawkeye started fiddling with his gloves, trying to get his coat sleeves to fit over the ends. His eyes continued to follow Sam around.

Radar excused himself with the simple explanation of needing to re-type the daily report and he soon disappeared out the door. Frank had ignored the conversation and was happily snoring in his bed. Sam used the moment of silence to slip out. Hawkeye watched him go and looked to BJ.

"That didn't seem suspicious to you at all?" he asked him. BJ shrugged and adjusted his coat.

"You've known him longer than I have. I've never seen him act that way before." he mentioned.

"Get to work and quick worrying about the runt!" Frank yelled, having been awakened by their talking.

"Swallow your face you parsnip!" Hawkeye snapped as they left the tent.

"I wish Trapper were here. No offense. He could just always get Sam to open up."

BJ waved him off, signaling the comment caused him no harm.

The wind blew harshly against the two, the cold threatening to seep into their bones. They were in a blackout phase. Every window was covered with curtains or black fabric. It was to ensure that the enemy wouldn't attack.

They were stopped by Igor who was on guard duty. They gave him the password of Caribbean and were able to continue on to post-op.

The stove was heated until it was very hot. The patients had to stay warm as they healed. Colonel Potter had ordered all extra blankets be sent to post-op to help and benefit the patients. Hawkeye began checking charts, Nurse Baker assisting him. Everything was quiet except the howling wind.

Major Houlihan was still on shift. She sat at the small desk in the room, filling out forms for various patients.

"Hello my dear Margaret." Hawkeye said in a sing song voice. He bent down to kiss Margaret.

"Get away you pig!" Margaret yelled, pushing him away forcefully. She grabbed her papers and headed to the supply room, huffing and mumbling about the two captains.

"I'm so sick of this wind!" BJ complained as the wind continued to howl outside.

4*0*7*7

Sam gripped his coat tighter around his form, his lungs tightening with each breath. He could hear the howling wistle through his ears. He was looking for Igor who had conveniently disappeared, most likely having gone in search of Zale for a drink. Sam didn't mind.

"I do my best thinking in the freezing cold." he said to himself sarcastically.

!CRACK!

Sam spun quickly. Although only a few hours of sleep, he was fully alert. He couldn't see much, having to squint in the stinging wind. He didn't dare move. There was a light crashing in the foliage. Sam took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.

Out of nowhere, a Korean man, dressed in what seemed like rags. He was shouting something in Korean. Behind him, shots were going everywhere. Dust flew from trees and rocks as bullets singed off them.

The man saw him and began waving his arms. Sam could only watch in horror as the man approached him at top speed. Another loud shot cracked and the man tumbled...right onto Sam. Sam felt himself falling backwards, his head knocking against the ground harshly. He was a bit dazed and his vision blurred but he blinked quickly to clear it. The man on top of him wasn't moving.

"Help!" he called.

Others were already coming out, a result of hearing gunshots.

4*0*7*7

Inside post-op, Hawkeye and BJ were immediately alerted to the several gunshots and the calls for help.

"Those were gunshots." BJ said. Hawkeye's eyes widened.

"That was Sam." he said before the two of them dropped what they were doing to respond to the calls.

Running out of the building, they were immediately hit by the cold air. There was a fleeting thought of grabbing their coats but their concern for Sam was more powerful. They came across a still bleeding man, possibly dead, lying across an equally still Sam.

"Get that man up!" BJ yelled. He moved to check on the Korean man while Hawkeye checked on Sam.

"Ow." Sam mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. He hissed. Bringing his hand back around, he noticed that it glistened with blood. Same kept staring at it, not quite realizing it was his own blood. Hawkeye wasted no time in grabbing Sam by the shoulders and pulling him up.

"BJ! Get some supplies ready! Sam took a nice knock to the head!" he called out. The two of them trudged in the cold towards the building.

"Hawk, my head hurts." Sam slurred, reaching up to feel his head. Hawkeye wouldn't allow it though and reached up to still Sam's hand.

"Don't touch it. We don't want to make it worse." he said.

BJ ran back up.

"The man's dead. Some of the nurses say it was a sniper and that they stopped after the man fell." he reported. He looked to Sam. Sam mumbled something and hissed. All three of them stopped, the two taller of the three looked down at the shortest.

"M-must have just been a bruise from the man landing on me." Sam stuttered. He shakily reached down and pulled up his shirt. He felt his teeth chatter as the knife sharp wind cut through his abdomen. He sighed unconsciously in relief as they all took in the bruise on his side.

"What in tarnations is going on out here?!" called out Colonel Potter as he jogged out of his tent, bundled up in his winter coat.

"Sniper. Dead Korean. Busted up Sam. You know, a usual day in Korea." BJ reported as they entered the building. BJ had already laid out supplies such as gauze, stitching material (if needed), and medical tape.

Hawkeye and BJ helped Sam sit on one of the tables.

"Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick." Sam mumbled.

Hawkeye started to look around.

"Get a bucket!" he ordered.

BJ was ready with a trash can and put it under Sam's chin. Sam couldn't hold it in any longer and threw up.

That was when Klinger came running in. He was wearing one of his favorite blue dresses with a matching hat. He had obviously been on guard duty but had handed off his weapon to the next shift.

"Hey kid what happened?" he asked.

Sam leaned up from the trash can and took an offered rag from Potter and wiped his mouth.

"Snipers. Where were you Klinger? You're-" he was cut off when a sharp pain went through his head. Hawkeye waited for him to stop moving before he placed the gauze back on Sam's head.

"You could have warned me." Sam grumbled to Hawkeye, gripping the rag tighter.

"It was a change in shift! I didn't know there was a sniper out there!" Klinger complained.

He adjusted his dress and hat.

"An intermission from Gone with the Wind Klinger?" Hawkeye asked.

"The second half." Klinger remarked.

Hawkeye took the bloodied piece of gauze away from Sam's head and took a proffered antiseptic soaked gauze from BJ and carefully put it against the cut. Sam hissed but didn't move. The room became quiet as Hawkeye finished the bandages. It wasn't too much longer before he was finished and Colonel Potter approved the work. It wasn't that he didn't approve of or doubt Pierce's work. It was just that he cared greatly about Sam, like he was family, and he wanted to be sure that he would be okay.

"I want to take a look at those ribs before you go." BJ said, blocking the door before Sam could dart out.

"I'm fine Beej." Sam insisted.

The twinge in his side had long since disappeared but he was getting worried about what it was. He was beginning to think it was his appendix. The doctors had enough patients to worry about and he didn't want to take up their time.

"Sam, you may have internal bleeding." BJ tried to justify.

"From a ma falling on me? It's just a bruise!" Sam tried to say but as he stood up from the table, Radar's voie came calling through the darkness outside.

"Choppers!" he yelled.

Sam put his hands up in surrender and disappeared out the door.

Hawkeye shook his head.

"He's gonna be the death of me yet. Alright, let's get going!" he said.

TBC

(A/N: Ahhh M*A*S*H...one of my favorite shows. I've been writing this story since like 2012 and have about 6 chapters written. Enjoy! Please review!)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

(A/N: There'll be a lot of Sam whump but also a lot of BJ and Hawkeye whump)

Sam helped carry a litter into post-op. They were almost finished. It had been another 17 hour shift. They were all tired. They were thankful that they were finished.

"Sleep! I need sleep!" Hawkeye hollered out.

"I just need to think about Peg and I'll be fine for a few more hours." Hunnicutt mumbled, half asleep and not realizing what he was saying.

The sun was coming up on the horizon, signaling a too long work period.

They had completely forgotten about the Sam issue. Seventeen hours of meatball surgery could do that to one. Sam stumbled out of post-op and leaned heavily against both doctors.

"I think I could sleep a week before I'm awake enough to sleep a week!" he said, yawning deeply.

The three of them walked silently back to the tent. But of course, nothing for them was ever easy.

"I'm looking for a doctor Pierce?" a rugged voice said behind them. BJ turned to the voice, fully prepared to tell him that Doctor Pierce was dead (it wasn't a lie. Hawk looked dead on his feet period) when he saw the rising sun glint off of something.

"Gun!" he yelled.

Everyone paused. Both Hawkeye and Sam turned around. The still freezing air went right through their veins.

The man was tall and big. He had more scars on his face than they had ever seen. He was frightening. Sam unconsciously gripped BJ's arm.

"C'mon man. Just put the gun down. This is a MASH unit. We've had enough killing." Hawkeye said, putting a hand out carefully.

"Enough! You, me, and your little friends are going into your operating room and you'll help 'my' little buddy to get better." the man yelled.

"What's going on out here?" ordered Colonel Potter, coming around the corner with Father Mulcahy and Klinger.

"Now Pierce!" the man yelled, ignoring the Colonel's question.

"Where is this buddy of yours?" Sam asked, his voice clearer than he felt.

"He's at the back of your operating room. Now let's move!" the man yelled once more, reaching forward and grabbing Sam by the arm, shoving him forward. BJ and Hawkeye made a move to remove the man's tightening grip on Sam but the sudden gun to their faces made them back off.

They silently made their way into the operating room where the man let go of Sam. They waited while the man, still training the gun on them, went to the back of the O.R. And grabbed his friend.

"It hurts Wallings." the wounded man complained.

"Shut up Bennett. They're gonna fix you up really quick and then you're mine." Wallings sneered. He looked back to the doctors.

"Bennett here tried to make a run for it. I got him; got him good. Superiors want him whole and I heard your name Pierce and figured you're perfect to patch him up." Wallings said.

"You want me to patch him up to put him in front of a firing squad?!" Hawkeye yelled, outraged by the idea Wallings sneered and laughed.

"Just remember who's holding the gun." he said.

4*0*7*7

"I heard the man say 'Wallings'." Klinger said, coming back around the corner of the O.R.

Colonel Potter was standing with Father Mulcahy. Houlihan had come to assess the situation before Potter had requested her to watch over the patients in post-op.

"Radar, get on the horn and find-"

"I'll get on the horn to see what I can find out about Wallings." Radar said at the same time as Colonel Potter.

Potter just rolled his eyes. He was used to Radar's comments. Radar ran off to make the call.

"Did you see the wounded?" Potter asked Klinger.

"Yeah. Chest wound. Looks bad." Klinger said grimly.

4*0*7*7

BJ and Hawkeye gazed over the wound, their hearts pounding more than usual. They had to help the soldier. Not just because it was their sworn duty but also because a man was pointing a rather nasty gun at them.

"That bullet's pretty deep in there." BJ mumbled over the unconscious wounded man.

"Mhmm. It's gonna take some time to get it out. We might just be causing him more pain by operating. From what I can see, the bullet's done so much damage that I don't think there's much we can do." Hawkeye said.

BJ sighed and looked towards Wallings. He was glancing out one of the doors.

"What are we going to do about tall, dark, and gun toting." he asked.

Hawkeye sighed.

"Look, uh, Wallings. If we try to take that bullet out, we'd just be causing him more pain. There's nothing we can do." he said hesitantly.

Wallings was quiet. Sam gripped the edge of the table where he was sitting, out of the way. A quiet hostage taker was likely to blow.

"You're sure?" Wallings asked, oddly calm.

"I'm sorry." was all BJ said.

Wallings moved away from the doors and came over to the table, glancing down at Bennett. He showed no remorse to the dying man.

"Well then, I guess someone will hae to take his place." he said, cocking his gun and looking up to the doctors.

In the corner, Sam gasped, grabbed his side, and bent over.

Wallings looked at him and smiled.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been almost two hours since Wallings had taken his hostages. Radar had been in talking on the phone, trying to get any information he could on Wallings.

It was now a waiting game. Whenever an MP got close to the door, Wallings would hold his gun up and shout a threat. Although the temperature was slightly warmer during the day, everyone was chilled to the spine just thinking about what could be going on inside the operating room.

"Colonel! I got some information on Wallings!" Radar yelled, running from the office.

He had a few papers in his hand, waving them around.

Colonel Potter took the papers from Radar and glanced them over. He sighed, crunching the papers in his hand. Margaret appeared from post-op.

"Any news?" she asked, crossing her arms to keep out the chill.

"Just got information on Jefferson Wallings, our hostage taker. Seems he was waiting for a psych eval and went AWOL. Looks like we found him." Potter reported, looking grim.

"A psych eval? That's a death wish for them in there!" Klinger shouted, his blood thawing with anger.  
"Radar, who let Wallings out of their sigh?!" Potter asked.

"The MP's said his colonel was supposed to keep an eye on him but the C.O. Says it wasn't his job. No one can figure it out. More MP's are on their way here." Radar exclaimed, fiddling with his hands.

"Let's just hope they get here in time." Margaret said quietly.

Frank said nothing out of the group.

4*0*7*7

"Oh no! You aren't taking him." Hawkeye commanded.

Sam was now on the ground, still bent over.

"I think it's his appendix." BJ mumbled to Hawkeye. Hawk nodded.

"Do I need to remind you who's holding the gun? Or maybe I'll just make an example out of one of you." Wallings waved the gun around.

"Just take me! I won't put up a fight." Hawkeye announced.

Wallings took a step towards Hawkeye. Both doctors tried to remain calm but fear was evident in their eyes.

"I'll decide who goes with me. So shut up!" Wallings yelled, cracking Hawkeye over the head with his gun. Hawkeye went down like a sack of potatoes.

While BJ moved to check on Hawkeye, Wallings turned to Sam.

"Get your coat on. We have tracks to make." he said.

"Hawkeye?!" Sam called out while hastily pulling on his coat. BJ looked to Sam.

"He'll be fine Sam." he said encouragingly.

"See kid? Your friend is fine. You can leave him in peace." Wallings said gruffly, grpping Sam's neck and steering him to the door. He opened it and pushed Sam in front of him.

"I want a jeep! I have a sick kid here and I'm willing to make it worse!" he yelled.

Stepping out into the winter sun, Sam blinked harshly. The previous injury to his head was beginning to throb. He thought of how Hawkeye must be feeling.

"We aren't giving you anything without the okay from my man!" Potter called out.

Wallings shrugged... and punched Sam in his tender side. Sam screamed and grabbed his new wound, faloling and curling in on himself.

"Is that enough 'okay' for you? I'd be glad to shut him up like his doctor friend." Wallings shouted.

Potter paled. The doctor friend was either Hawkeye or Hunnicutt. And being shut up. He didn't want to know what that entailed. Potter turned to Klinger.

"Alright, get him a jeep. Have another one waiting." he said quietly.

Klinger hesitated but nodded, following orders.

"Just take it easy. We're getting your jeep now." Potter yelled to Wallings.

"Once me and the kid get on that jeep, no one follows. Someone follows, I take the kid's head off. You all understand that?!" Wallings yelled, looking to all of them.

"We understand!" Potter made himself clear.

The air was tense as the sound of a jeep approached the doors.

"Don't try anything stupid. I wouldn't want this hair trigger gun to go off into the crowd." Wallings said to Sam.

Sam groaned and pushed himself up with his hands. His side was beginning to hurt again. He took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.

Klinger pulled up slowly with the jeep, driving unnaturally carefully. Everyone could hear their hearts beating. Klinger quickly jumped out of the jeep. Sam unconsciously gripped his side but refused to make a noise.

4*0*7*7

"Hawkeye?"

The voice sounded familiar yet Benjamin Pierce couldn't peel his eyes open. There was the faint thought of what happened but his mind ate away at the question.

"Hawk, if you don't open your eyes, I'm going to sit on you." Hunnicutt warned. Hunnicutt. That was why the voice sounded familiar.

"Beej." he mumbled.

His eyes opened blearily.

"Hawk, you feel dizzy? Any nausea?" BJ asked quickly. He knew Hawkeye was feeling confused but there were bigger issues to deal with.

"No, none of that. Just a slamming headache." Hawkeye reported.

It hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Sam! We've gotta get to Sam!" he yelled.

Hawkeye tried to push himself to his feet and stumbled, BUJ grabbing his arm to stop his descent.

"I'm afraid he and Wallings just left in a jeep." BJ informed him.

Everyone's hearts dropped.

"Pierce? Hunnicutt?" Potter called through the door.

"We're all right Colonel. Hawkeye took a pretty good size knock to the head though." BJ started to say but Hawkeye cut him off.

"Which way did they leave Colonel? We have to get to Sam!" he yelled, making his way cautiously to the door.

"Sam has appendicitis." BJ told the Colonel.

"Oh my goodness." Potter said in a hushed voice.

"Colonel, the second jeep is prepared." Klinger said, rushing into the room. He gave no mind to his now stained designer coat.

"Colonel you have to let us go!" Hawkeye was still on the move. BJ moved forward, seeing that Hawkeye was still wobbly on his feet.

"Pierce, you need to rest. That knock to your head need to be looked at!" Pierce wasn't paying attention to his Colonel. He kept walking out and disappeared into the crowd. Potter shook his head and pointed to BJ.

"Go with him! I'll coordinate here with the MP's. They went down Wong road." he said.

BJ nodded and followed after Hawkeye.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The jeep rumbled down the road, kicking up dust with its cleat-like tires. Sam hadn't moved from is position. He was sure that his appendix was going to burst. Whether he got to where Wallings was taking him or the 4077 found him, his appendix was going to make things very uncomfortable.

Wallings hadn't said a word since they had pulled away from the 4077. Sam had been too busy trying to stay breathing correctly. The scenery was passing by swiftly, almost making him nauseous. The jeep was bouncing up and down.

"Just wait until my superiors learn that I caught an enemy. I'll get a medal for sure." Wallings yelled over the noise. Sam opened his eyes and the sun pierced through him.

"Do you realize what you've done? You've just terrorized a MASH unit and taken one of their own. We HAVE no enemies there!" Sam gasped, gripping his side tighter.

Wallings turned a corner sharply and glanced at Sam.

"You shut up. I know that your MASH treats the enemy more..nicely than the others. You must be conspiring with them. You'll have all the answers and my superiors will get the answers from you." He said.

Sam was quiet, leaning his head back against the seat. The cold wind blew through his hair, shocking his brain into asking more questions.

"So who was Bennett?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"I thought he was on my side. But then I saw him talking to those Koreans. I had to stop him from informing the enemy of the plans. I needed him to tell the superiors what he had done." Wallings explained.

Sam was beginning to sweat. A fever was setting in.

"You were the sniper on the MASH grounds. You shot the Korean." he said, finally realizing things.

"He was going to warn his associates. I couldn't let that happen." Wallings said.

There was a haunted look in his captor's eyes.

 _Wallings must truly believe what he's telling me!_ Sam thought to himself. He took a deep breath and sat up straight.

"Look Wallings. If you want me to be able to tell your superiors anything, I have to be alive. There's something wrong with my side. I need help." he tried to reason.

Wallings didn't respond. He instead pulled the jeep over to the side of the abandoned road.

4*0*7*7

"We should have checked your head! You're driving crazy!" BJ yelled over the sound of the jeep.

The two of them were squinting in the cold morning air. The wind was blowing as harshly as it had the night before. Hawk's numbing fingers were quickly taking the place of his concussion force headache.

"You know as well as I do that if his appendix bursts, he could get peritonitis, get an infection, things can get serious!" Hawkeye yelled over the rush of air around him. He didn't even want to start thinking about the weather. The clouds overhead were beginning to puff and gray, showing signs of oncoming snow. They knew it was going to snow. After being in Korea for so long, it was easy to know when the weather was coming. They knew the signs.

"There's faint tracks up to the right." Hawkeye heard BJ call out.

He squinted out in the middle of the road. There were slight tracks veering off the road and out of sight.

Slowing the jeep and pulling it to the side, the two of them hopped out and began following the tracks. There were a few spots that had ice on them and it was obvious that the jeep had skid over it. It was that fact that made Hawkeye begin to worry more. He was beginning to have horrible thoughts about if the jeep had skid off the road or overturned on one of the many jagged rocks around.

Looking at BJ, he could tell he was thinking the same thing.

"Keep an eye out for any skid marks." Hawkeye hollered slightly over the increasing winds. BJ nodded.

The terrain gave room to anyone to hide. For all the two of them knew, there could be a couple snipers looking at them. As the wind blew the past snow sprinkled off the tree branches, some of it landing on their shoulders.

"I'm starting to think I should have grabbed my coat." BJ mumbled to himself.

Hawkeye wasn't on the same level. He was just concentrating on staying upright. His head was still throbbing and the bumps along the way in the jeep hadn't done any good. There were a few black spots clouding his vision and he blinked repeatedly to remove them. It had worked a few times but now the little buggers were coming back in full force. He rolled his eyes upwards and visibly winced at the pain it caused.

Unfortunately, BJ noticed. He stopped walking and didn't hesitate to grab Hawkeye's arm to stop him. Hawkeye jerked in his grip and turned to look at BJ expectantly.

"Your head is still bothering you. Wait here. I'll go and scout ahead." BJ said.

Hawkeye's eyes widened.

"No! BJ, Sam could be bleeding or dead by now. Plus, Wallings has a gun. If he sees you, it could be lights out for all three of us." he justified.

"But if you'd stay here for just a few minutes, I can come get you before he even sees me." BJ argued.

Hawkeye frowned.

"I'm just going to follow you anyways so you might as well give up." he said, pulling his arm from BJ's grip. BJ growled but watched Hawkeye stride forward. They struggled up a small hill, still following the deep tracks. With the ice, the two didn't think Wallings was stupid enough to drive the jeep down an icy hill.

As they moved, the sounds of conversation drifted through their ears. One voice sounded in pain and the deep one was obviously Wallings.

4*0*7*7

Sam leaned against a close rock, a fine sheen of sweat across his forehead. His breathing was labored and he was sure his vision was blurry. His brain was going into complete panic. The pain in his side had intensified and he couldn't even sit up straight. His eyes followed Wallings as he paced the clearing, the gun twitching in his grasp.

"Wallings, I'm gonna die anyway. It's just one less enemy. You can go back and tell your superiors that you succeeded." Sam groaned.

"No, no you have to be alive to be questioned." Wallings growled, stopping his pacing and wiping snow off his shoulders.

It was only then that Sm noticed he was shivering. His chest felt as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He could feel all his bones shaking inside his skin.

"What can I do to keep you alive?" Wallings mumbled to himself. He seemed at war with himself. Sam let him stew and began looking around for a way to change the status quo. The snow was beginning to cover everything. He could see a few loose rocks that were just within reach. He glanced back and Wallings, eying him as he paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair.

Sam slowly lifted his arm, careful not to let any leaves or twigs crackle as they fell to the ground. Although the howling wind would probably blow the noise away and to the other side of Korea.

The rock was cold in his hand, completely frozen. He was tempted to drop the rock and pull his hand back to his body, to warm it against his chilled torso. But he ignored the tempting thought and clenched his teeth. Wallings seemed to be in his own world. He wrung his hands and mumbled to himsef about something or other. Now Sam knew that Wallings wasn't right in the head.

He pulled the rock to his side and covered it with his hand. He wished Hawkeye and BJ were there. They always knew what to do. At least he would have had some comfort as he died.

"What can I do?!" Wallings yelled, startling Sam out of his thoughts.

"My appendix has to come out. Take me back to the 4077. They can remove it and I'll be well enough to travel." he groaned, placing his free hand protectively over his pained side.

"No! The MP's will be waiting. If it just needs to come out, then I'll do it." Wallings decided.

He had an unusual glint in his eyes as he stared at Sam and then began fumbling through his pockets for something. Sam tried to back up, sliding his body back but his muscles began to freeze up, making it extremely difficult to move at all. His head fell back against the frozen ground with a small 'thump'. His eyes fluttered shut against the blowing snow when he unexpectedly heard an 'aha' from Wallings. His eyes opened sluggishly and rolled down to see what Wallings was doing. The big man was holding something in his hand but Sam didn't have the strength to lean up to see what it was. He released a groan.

"Yes sir, I'll fix it myself." Wallings mumbled to himself.

Sam felt the intruding cold impale his abdomen. The first thought in his mind was that the wind felt marvelous on his heated, fever ridden skin. But the pressure of someone holding him down by his chest caused his brain to go into overdrive. His limbs weakly struggled to push the offending force off but all movement froze as an agonizing slice of pain radiated throughout his side. He glanced down to see Wallings gripping the handle of a deadly looking knife whose blade was currently buried deep within his side. A scream was his delayed reaction. It seemed to sear his throat with its intensity. As the knife began to slide downwards, Sam suddenly remembered the frozen rock in his hand.

Surging with all his might, Sam cracked the rock across the side of Wallings' head.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A loud roar erupted from Wallings and he flew back grasping the side of his head. The snow and wind blew, sending the yells out of the clearing.

Sam glanced at him through the hazy blowing snow. There was a crackle next to him and he turned to the left to see the blurry form of Captain BJ Hunnicutt barrel into Wallings, sending them careening into the snow. Sam watched them argue while the hot blood slid down his side.

From where Hunnicutt came from, the hunched over form of Hawkeye. He hugged his arms to his chest as he knelt next to Sam.

"Oh god Sam." he whispered.

Sam blinked rapidly to bring Hawkeye into focus. He felt the man's cold hands on his already cold body. There seemed to be no heat for either of them to steal.

"H-Hawk. My appendix..." Sam almost gurgled, trying to sit up. Hawkeye immediately pushed him back down. Sam hissed as the pain crawled up his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut as Hawkeye probed the wound.

"It doesn't seem like your appendix has burst yet. We need to get you back to the 4077." Hawkeye rushed. He pushed a large hand against the wound and glanced around for BJ.

4*0*7*7

BJ rolled across the snow, landing opposite of Wallings. The two stood up, glaring at each other.

"I'm taking him in, dead or alive. You can't stop me!" Wallings reared.

BJ's eyes glanced over at the discarded knife. Wallings had no doubt forgotten about it. He snapped back to Wallings, glaring fiercely.

"You're insane Wallings! I'm done trying to reason with you! He's not going with you! Now you'll either come quietly with us or I'll knock you out and throw you across the jeep." he threatened. He didn't know if this villain could hear him over the wind. The snow blew, chilling both men to the bone. BJ's bones creaked as the cold invaded but he ignored it and rushed forward. He and Wallings grappled, both trying to get the upperhand. Wallings sent a resounding punch to BJ's right cheek, catching him below the eye. His head snapped back but he immediately swung a leg out, going for the back of the man's knee. He hooked the toe of his boot behind Wallings' right knee and pulled. It send the large man crashing to the snow covered earth.

Wallings got to his feet and rushed him. BJ could hear the enemy's footsteps int eh accumulating crunchy snow. He spun quickly. There was ice under his shoe, causing him to wobble. He reached his hands out in front of him, ready to stop himself.

A large force smashed into him, sending them flying to the ground. BJ grunted as he felt rocks digging into his back. He was ready though, ready in case Wallings attacked again. But the weight didn't move. BJ frowned, pushing. It was then that he saw what stopped the bigger man. The rusted knife stuck out of Wallings' chest. Even in the wind, with his eyes squinted, he could tell it had hit directly above the heart.

BJ breathed slowly, allowing himself to relax. It seemed over. The man that had terrorized them for what seemed like forever was dead.

Sitting up, he let Wallings topple over, the snow instantly covering the warm body. He quickly stood up and shook his head, clearing the stars that were threatening to set in. Now he knew how Hawkeye felt. BJ's head was throbbing slightly, courtesy of Wallings' punch to his face. He glanced around at the now white environment. He almost couldn't tell which direction he had come from. Picking a way, he began to leave, pausing to look back at the body. He would have to be carried to the second jeep. He sighed and turned back to the path, picking his way slowly down the way.

4*0*7*7

Hawkeye could only pale as the color drained from Sam's face. Instead, all the color was in the crimson covering white snow. Sam was trying to steady his breathing yet when the puffs of smoke came from his mouth, it was scattered and broken.

"I feel so cold and hot Hawk. That's the fever right?" Sam asked. He squeezed his eyes shut to clear them. Hawkeye was still by his side but had ripped off strips of his coat as wel as bits of Sam's more heavier coat and was tying them together. He had already tied one directly over the knife wound itself. He had thought of going back to the jeep where a medical bag rested. Potter was originally going to be the one to go after Sam and had thrown the bag in the back of the jeep.

He was hesitant to though. With the snow, it was hard to see. Plus his own vision was still blurry. While he was most worried about Sam, he was starting to get concerned about his own tookus. He shook his head to get the black spots to leave him behind. They were returning in full force, laughing at him as they jumped around.

"Open your eyes Echo." he called.

Sam's eyes opened flaccidly, his head not moving as quickly. He let out a slight groan and tottered dangerously.

"I knew we shouldn't have let you come." Hunnicutt growled as he ducked under a low hanging branch. It dumped snow on his shoulder but he just brushed it off. He wasted no time kneeling next to the two injured parties.

"Wallings tried to cut his appendix out. I'm worried it may have already burst." Hawkeye reported. He untied the temporary bandages. Although the wound was beginning to clot, it was still bleeding heavily. BJ was really worried. Sam's skin was a pasty gray. The snow was beginning to lessen. They could hear each other better.

"It's pretty deep but I don't think it hit any arteries or major organs." he said.

Quickly tying the bandages, he apologized to Sam when the boy yelped.

"I think I already knew that Hunnicutt." Hawkeye snapped. BJ lifted an eyebrow and glanced at him. He didn't reply. Hawkeye probably didn't even know what he was saying. His head preoccupied his time. Ignoring his friend's comments, BJ pulled Sam's jacket closer to the small frame and glanced around. He could slightly see the trail that he and Hawkeye had taken to find Sam.

"Let's get him back to the jeep." he said.

Hawkeye looked around and frowned.

"Where's Wallings?" he asked.

Hunnicutt glanced up at him, giving Hawkeye a look that told him everything he needed to know. He didn't say anything but swallowed.

"We need to bring the body back. If you want to get Sam back to the jeep, I'll go pull Wallings' body down." Hawkeye suggested. BJ immediately turned down the idea.

"We'll only be able to take one jeep back. We'll remember where the other jeep is and send someone back for both." he said.

His head wasn't throbbing like it was before. He was able to think clearer. And by the way Hawkeye didn't retort, he knew that the other surgeon was still feeling even more lousy.

Their conversation over, Hunnicutt lifted Sam's upper body, feeling the younger male immediately begin searching weakly for body heat. He tightened his grip and got his feet under him. Although the wind had died down quite a bit and the snow had nearly stopped, Hunnicutt had been down on his knees and he had to gather his balance to keep from falling back into a mound of snow.

Hawkeye reached out to steady his fellow captain but in reality he was doing it to keep himself from falling over. His own head was beginning to get worse. His eyes were having the tendency to blur on their own. If Hunnicutt noticed, he said nothing.

They walked back down the slippery slope and almost sighed in unison at the sight of their green army jeep. Even Sam felt relieved to see the ugly hunk of metal.

No one said anything as Hawkeye got into the back of the jeep and reached back for Sam. Hunnicutt instead leaned in and placed Sam on Hawkeye's lap. He could see that if Hawkeye stood up, he would fall out of the jeep and not get back up. Hawkeye noticed this and said a quiet 'thank you'. Hunnicutt paused for a moment, glancing in the direction their jeep had come. They hadn't come far to find Wallings' and Sam. He knew it wouldn't take too long to get back to the 4077. Glancing at Hawk, he noticed the man trying to keep his eyes open. He better hurry.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Potter couldn't stop pacing. He felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest. The snow had come out of nowhere and the colonel knew it had come from the direction that his surgeons had gone. All he could think about was if all three of his men were still alive. It was all he could think about. A chill went through his body, glancing up, he allowed a few snowflakes to fall on his face before looking around as if he heard a jeep pulling up. The wind was howling and he doubted he would hear a jeep if it pulled up right next to him.

"Colonel. I got some information on that man that Wallings had with him!" Radar yelled as he ran to Potter. There were a few different sizes of paper in his hand. Someone of them threatened to blow away. And yet Radar kept a hold on all of them.

"Paul Bennett. Assumed AWOL from his unit under Colonel Collins. Stand up guy, brave, no history of trouble at home." he reported, handing the papers to his commanding officer.

Potter looked them over quickly, sighing.

"So we have a dead captain, a dead Korean, and 3 missing men. What next?" he asked, thinking out loud.

As if by a miracle the faint noise of a jeep horn filled the wind. Potter was sure he gave himself whiplash the second his head turned towards the noise. His sharp yet glasses covered eyes picked up the slight line of green that passed through the sheer white blowing snow. The white frozen water was coming down harder. Most personnel were beginning to bundle up as the temperature was dropping quickly and was causing some sharp moments of ice blowing through.

Potter ignored them and went running toward the direction of the speeding jeep. His hear began to beat quickly, almost bursting out of his chest. Radar had headed in the opposite direction, calling a few orderlies to help. He also ran to post-op where Houlihan was sure to still be.

Margaret was giving orders to a nurse when Radar found her.

"Major! There's a jeep coming! It might be the captains!" he said excitedly before disappearing back out the door. Houlihan looked up sharply.

Anything could have happened in the tense time that the trio had been gone. She looked to Nurse Baker and told her to take over in charge while she went to see what she could do. She grabbed her jacket and scarf and pulled them on while running out the door.

Meanwhile, Colonel Potter slid to a stop at the edge of the road. The jeep pulled closer, revealing BJ behind the wheel and Hawkeye with Sam in the back. Potter was instantly concerned as Sam was practically the color of the down-coming snow. It was in stark contrast to the red blood that covered Hawk's jacket and hands. BJ motioned to the front of the OR and kept driving way over any speed limit. Potter didn't waste any time getting to the OR. Klinger was already there, handing his sentry duty off to an enlisted man. He was jumping practically from foot to foot, trying to stay warm. While it was an automatic reaction to the weather, Klinger didn't seem to notice.

From around the building, Margaret booked it, almost as pale as Sam just from looking at him.

"What happened?" Potter asked over the howling wind. Hunnicutt shook his head and hopped out of the jeep and hightailed it back to where Hawkeye was hunched over Sam. The doctor was practically frozen over the younger boy.

"Hawkeye! C'mon buddy, get up. We need to get Sam inside." BJ yelled. He gripped Hawkeye's shoulders and began to pull the captain up. Hawkeye didn't complain as Klinger and Margaret grabbed him around the sides and helped him out of the jeep.

Hunnicutt moved forward with Potter to Sam's side.

"That creep Wallings stabbed him. I shudder to think that he was trying to cut the appendix out." Hunnicutt said darkly, lifting the coat slightly to allow Potter to view the wound. Potter knew his face was turning green. He had seen many wounds on many young men and yet it made him feel so confused as to what to do. It was like he had forgotten all his medical knowledge.

"My god." he whispered.

He allowed Hunnicutt to put the coat/bandage back on the wound and called for a litter.

"Get him in there easily and gently boys. He's already frozen to the touch." he instructed as they watched Sam be taken into the OR. BJ turned to Potter.

"His appendix may have burst or been punctured. The best I could do is bandage it and Hawkeye kept as much pressure o it as he could on the way back." he reported to him. Potter sighed.

"Who's going to operate on him?" he asked.

Hunnicutt paused and looked at his hands.

"I think you better Colonel." he answered, glaring sadly at his shaking hands.

4*0*7*7

Hawkeye stared at the ceiling of post-op. His pounding headache had dulled to a slow ache but still reminded him it was there. He looked to the clock. It was almost three hours since he had been looked over by BJ. Even when he asked BJ about Sam, Hunnicutt would only talk about the captain's headache. Hawkeye was beginning to get agitated. That was bad because it just made his head hurt worse.

"Margaret!" he called, getting the attention of Major Houlihan. Margaret turned to him and dismissed the nurse she was talking to. She could tell that Hawkeye wasn't happy.

"Someone better tell me about Sam before I start beating some heads together." Hawkeye threatened.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position. Margaret rushed forward to help him. As she adjusted his pillows to hold him up, he glanced around. He'd never been on this side of the hospital. His view was a lot different. It made him feel vulnerable.

"You need to rest Hawkeye. That concussion isn't going to go away if you keep pushing yourself." Margaret warned.

Hawkeye growled.

"Then I'll just find him myself." he said and started to get up. Margaret was quick to hold him down. Hawkeye tried to push her off but his muscles ached. Margaret struggled to keep a hold of him and not make his headache worse. Thankfully Hunnicutt and Frank Burns walked in at that very moment and noticed Hawkeye struggling. They both ran forward. Burns grabbed Hawkeye's arm on Margaret's side while BJ got the other one.

"Hawkeye stop struggling! You'll only make your head worse!" Hunnicutt yelled, trying to hold the other captain.

"Pierce contain yourself! You almost hurt Margaret!" Frank exclaimed.

"Shut up Frank!" both Hunnicutt and Margaret ordered at the same time.

Hawkeye panted lightly before collapsing back on the bed, a thin sheet of sweat on his forehead.

"I just need to see Sam. I need to make sure he's okay." he whispered. Margaret came over with a wet towel and carefully wiped his forehead.

Hunnicutt took Hawk's wrist and checked his pulse.

"The colonel's finishing up with him now." he said, finally look up to Hawkeye.

"It's all my fault. I've known Sam for so long. If I had noticed something was wrong...then he would have been in post op sooner and not around that creep Wallings." Hawkeye said dejectedly.

His gaze turned upwards. He felt so guilty that he had gotten his young friend into all this. Sam had been his closest friend for so long in this war. When they had first met, Sam had been this shy, lost, and lonely boy who did his job and socialized hardly at all. Hawkeye and Trapper John had taken the boy on as a pet project. Since then, they had been inseparable. Then Hunnicutt had come int o the picture. It had been an instant connection that had grown into a permanent friendship. Although Hunnicutt hadn't been around as long, he too had learned to read Sam's moods and actions. But still he wasn't as good at it as Hawk.

"Hawk, it's not your fault at all. We all know how stubborn Sam is. And he's and expert liar. He could get by anything." BJ tried to console.

Hawkeye shook his head quickly.

"I'm supposed to protect him! He's relied on me and I let him down!" he said.

"Oh quit sniveling Pierce!" Burns reprimanded...right before BJ punched him in the face. Frank fell over an empty cot and landed on the floor. He jumped up, holding his jaw.

"You're going on report Hunnicutt!" he complained.

"Frank get out of here before I knock you out myself!" Margaret exclaimed. Frank looked shocked.

"Margaret, you're supposed to be on my side!" he yelled.

When Margaret didn't reply, he let out a grunt and disappeared out into the freezing evening.

"Hawk?" BJ called.

Hawkeye opened his eyes which he didn't know he had closed and looked blearily at the other captain.

"I just need to see him Beej." he half whispered.

As if the Colonel had heard him, Potter came in with the orderlies carrying Sam. The boy was pale and still and it all frightened Hawkeye more.

"How'd it go Potter?" Hawkeye asked quietly. Potter adjusted his glasses.

"It was touch and go. His appendix burst right as we pulled it out so that was a relief. There was no peritonitis but we did extra irrigation just in case. The knife wound was slightly worse. The edges of it were jagged so we had to clean up the edges first before we could put in stitches. Thankfully no organs were punctured so stitching any muscle was easy. He does have a fever so we have to keep an eye on him." Potter summed up.

Hawkeye's muscles relaxed but a throb still followed his heartbeat. His eyes were beginning to become heavy.

"Beej..." he mumbled, not letting his eyes close just yet. Hunnicutt gripped Hawkeye's shoulder firmly yet gently.

"Go to sleep Hawkeye. I'll keep an eye on him."

TBC


End file.
